cross your fingers

I guess this would go here...

Anyways...cross your fingers and pray this saddle fits both Sonny and me. My friend and co-worker sadly has to sell her pretty Standardbred because she's leaving for college and said that she'd sell me her saddle for $125 (that includes a saddle pad...to breaking the price down...$100 for the saddle and $25 for the pad). She said the saddle was in great condition...but the stirrups are a tad long, but can always add extra holes (I'm short haha). She believes the seat is 15"...so I should be able to fit in that (I usually take a 16"...but I do perfer some extra room in a saddle).

My dad is stopping by my work tomorrow to get the saddle from her then to bring it to me (who'll be at the barn doing lessons) and try the saddle on, and if it appears to fit Sonny I'll ride in it for a while....walk, trot, and canter....and see if it's comfortable for me.

So, cross your fingers and pray it fits....I REALLY need a saddle and it's a great deal for this one.

That's awesome! Okay, *crosses fingers*.

My co-worker was nice enough to drop the saddle off at work today when I was working so I could use the saddle (that is if it fits Sonny) all during the lesson to see if it's comfortable.

It's a black synthetic Abetta saddle. It's in fairly good condition...with a good cleaning it will be good as new. The saddle pad that she gave me with it is HHUUGGEE! I mean it's literally double than the western saddle pads that I used before for western saddles...so I might end up not buying the pad from her.

So will be trying the saddle on tomorrow morning...I hope it fits

Measure the gullet size if it does not fit, I have a black synthetic I'm trying got get rid of, it doesn't fit short back, round flat-backed horse at all. It fit him while he was thin but now that he is gaining muscle it is starting to pinch. I think he needs something like an Arabian tree with a 7 1/2-8 gullet.

Also its better to have the tree too wide than too small, if it is too wide, you can put bulky pads under it but if it is too small, you can't do anything.

yep...she said it was a full-quarter horse bar....and that was the size I was using for Sonny...it's the back of the saddle I'm worried about. Three saddles I've used for Sonny before, the back looked like it was hovering on his back (meaning the back was sticking up).

I'm looking soooo forward to tomorrow...we might even do a trail ride.
We are going to have a costume party...and Sonny and I are going as punks...I'm going to spike his mane haha

Maybe you need to get something with a V Rigging system.... I found that when the back sticks up it can move around and create rubs.

Here is a how to:
http://www.gaitsofgold.net/content/view/51/11/

If your saddle has a back dee you can do this, it doesn't need to be specially placed.

well if the saddle sticks up I don't use it. That just solves the problem haha. I guess also though, you can pad the back section of the saddle and make it so it doesn't stick up...like puttin a towel or something down there.

Well about ready to leave to the barn...I got all my costume on...all the makeup and the "tattoos" (aka permanant marker haha). Will let everyone know how the saddle fit and will take pictures of it also, so you can all see if it actually fits or not

Also, random question, what exactly makes the back of the saddle stick up? I know occasionally it's just the skirt around it...but one that I tried on Sonny, the whole back end of the tree (or whatever makes up the seat) was sticking up also)

Post some photos of the tack on your horse. We might be able to help with the fitting.

Good Luck

The girls stole my camera and took pictures so I really only got one picture of the saddle on Sonny and that was with a saddle pad.

The tree fit straight on Sonny....no gaps or anything...the back sat fine also on him...did not stick up at all.

With no pad and the cinch not done up I was able to fit 3.5 fingers between the tree and Sonny's withers....with it cinched it (WITH THE SADDLE PAD) I could get 1.5 fingers inbetween the tree and the saddle pad.

My trainer looked at it (while I held onto Sonny...Sonny hates her :( ) and she said it fitted him good.

I rode in it, and other than the stirrups being REALLY long (which I can always just poke new holes in it. The saddle seemed comfortable when I rode in it. I walked, trotted, and cantered fine and didn't get sore legs or a sore butt ;)
And for only $100 why not just get it? So, I'm going to buy it from my co-worker...I can always resell it if I don't like it or need something else.

It looks like it fits well.